A New Kind of Warrior
by CCGhastly
Summary: Nadja defies the norm for humans, but not by choice. Experimented on as a child she is now hunted by the people that changed her, but with signs of government betrayal all around her, she can't evade them forever. Will she find escape and friends on Pandora or will she face her fate alone?
1. Chapter 1

Nadja defies the norm for humans, but not by choice. Experimented on as a child she is now hunted by the people that changed her, but with signs of government betrayal all around her she can't evade them forever. Will she find escape and friends on Pandora or will she face her fate alone?

* * *

When I was three my parents were having some money troubles and sold me to the A.H.E program or the Advanced Human Evolution program. I wasn't unhappy, I was pacified by false promises of love, a full stomach and a comfortable place to live, but in truth, they only wanted me because they had created a serum that sped up the human evolution, it was a miracle in science world! But it had… just a few draw backs. The serum reacted badly with something in an adult's brain, making all post-pubescent volunteers go insane, it didn't react at all with the pubescent subjects. Only the pre-pubescent tests of the serum had some level of success and scientists had finally tracked the problem down to some hormone or another, but the A.H.E was being cracked down on, all of their past mistakes were being dragged into the light. They were being shut down. There was a desperate rush for one last try, one last shot at success.

I had been learning and existing at the labs for only one year when they had been discovered, and it was me that they choose to be their last hope. White coats that all held a manic gleam in their eye and a frantic edge to their movement rushed around. I was filled to the brim with something that repressed the troubling hormone, the serum was administered, and then I was abandoned into a hibernation chamber. When I later inquired, I discovered that I slept away one year of my life in that chamber, until in one last comb over of the building the local police discovered me and they then handed me over to the hospital for an "investigation" of my "condition", an investigation that mysteriously changed into "time to recover" from my "ordeal" when I started questioning as to when I could leave.

Surrounded by a blur of scientists and researchers and doctors and specialists and on a couple odd occasions pastors and priests, I got poked and prodded and pried at, while they exclaimed over my genes and DNA. Spouting words like miracle, amazing, incredible, confounding, impossible, unnatural, and (the religious types personal favourites) demonic or perhaps even the devil's work. I was taught and cared for at the hospital by an kind German caretaker named Etta Bähr, who spoke in a heavily accented voice and had very strict ideals for what a "lady" was and was not to act like.

Etta didn't bat an eye at any of my clothing choices, she couldn't care less for what I wore as long as I acted proper. I could have probably pranced around naked as the day I was born and she wouldn't say a thing, but I better run quick if she ever caught wind of a foul word coming out of my mouth. Etta insisted on calling me Nadja, saying that it is what I would have been called if I were born German. Apparently the name Nadja means Hope.

When it was clear that I wasn't going to be leaving the hospital for a long while, I was moved to Etta's rooms and Etta began to teach me German. German songs, German dances, German mannerisms, simply German life. It got to the point where I was speaking in German more than I was English, not that Etta or I was complaining. At first, my accent was something that made Etta cringe and tut, then my grammar was atrocious and I swear that Etta could rant for days about my pronunciation, but eventually I got better and then I was "as fluent as if I was born speaking it" or so Etta said. Eventually on the rare occasion that I had to speak English to a doctor of some such, my accent was nearly as thick as Etta's, and didn't the old biddy find that simply hilarious. At some point Etta wound up adopting me and I officially became Nadja Bähr, I had come to the hospital when I was so young that I can't really remember all that much from before it, my strongest childhood memories are of Etta, my Mama.

At some point I stopped keeping track of the years, I grew content with my life, with home cooked meals that Mama would make, the soft bed and warm duvet that I slept in every night, and most of all the good company of the German woman who genuinely loved me. Looking back, I wish that I had counted every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every moment I spent living that life; because it all ended when the Government and the Military caught wind of my existence.

It happened on a rather foggy day, the kind of fog that feels like raindrops are hanging in the air and when you come out the other side, you look as if you've walked through a shower. It had been many years since I was a child, Mama and I had long since moved out of the hospital's dorms and now lived together in a smallish apartment in Germany. Mama and I started the day outside, Mama was tending her small rooftop garden that the building had allowed her to plant and I was crouched a distance away muttering complaints about the weather to no one in particular. If she could hear me Mama would tell me to "stop mumbling nonsense to the sky" and I suppose you could phrase it that way as well, but I like to call it "expressing myself, quietly".

I had to leave for my work at a nearby boxing academy, I was confronted at my job by men in suits who spoke terrible German and said that they "knew my past" they threatened to let the A.H.E know where Mama and I were if I didn't comply. Apparently the A.H.E had gotten some new shady government partners and they were not all that pleased that their one successful experiment had gotten away from them all those years ago, they wanted me to enlist, to go to war for "my country". I did not want to, but what choice did I have, who knew what they would do to my Mama if I did not.

So I joined the army, I fought for their wars with my A.H.E enhanced self, I was faster, stronger, better than the others I was A.H.E's success, their very own Übermensch, but while I was away Mama got unexplainably and horribly sick. By the time I could get leave she had already passed and there was nothing I could do but mourn her, for the world had lost a great woman. My superiors contacted me after, said that I had been favorably noted by some higher ups and that I would be working with the RDA and going through the Avatar Program to become the first combative Avatar Driver. I was to train rigorously for three years to be ready, before being shuttled out to Pandora.

I did as they told me, for I knew that Mama's death and the sudden offer were not coincidence and it is always good to know thine enemys.


	2. Chapter 2

Nadja defies the norm for humans, but not by choice. Experimented on as a child she is now hunted by the people that changed her, but with signs of government betrayal all around her she can't evade them forever. Will she find escape and friends on Pandora or will she face her fate alone?

* * *

I come out of cryo feeling a bit groggy and stretch as best I can while I wait for my bunk to slide out. There are no dreams in cryo, apparently this is because when you're in cryo you aren't actually sleeping. It's essentially freezing your body in time, until the cryo chamber is shut off and you 'wake up'. Or something. That's what I got from the technical mumbojumbo the person strapping me in spewed when I questioned him. A person is put into cryo when they're shipped out so that they don't age on the five year journey from Earth to Pandora, and so that they arrive in the same condition that they were shipped out in, maybe so that soldiers don't fall from their peak condition, I don't really know.

My bunk slides out and I'm unharnessed by some random techie, she questions me on my general health and how I'm feeling, then points me in the direction of a small locker with my surname on it, and says that it holds a ration pack for me. I'm also told that there will be another locker on the way out that hold the duffle I had brought on and that my barracks will have the standard set of care products and a couple of extra sets of clothing for me.

I float over, gather and consume the ration pack, then make my way to the exit that I had been directed to by a voice over the PA system and sure enough there was another locker emblazoned with my last name "Bähr". I smile weakly at the reminder of Mama then gather my duffle and give it a quick search to make sure nothing was taken or added in. Satisfied, I make my way off the ship and onto the plane that's going basecamp.

+++++Page break++++

On the plane I glance around at the other recruits, then turn to the man beside me and introduce myself with a smile "Nadja Bähr" I tell him extending a hand, my accent still just as strong from regular use of my favoured German tongue "Guard, Affatar Program. " "Jake Sully" he replies shaking my hand "Marine, Avatar Program" I smile, letting go of his hand. There is a pause before he speaks up again "Nadia?" he sheepishly questions the pronunciation of my name "Nein" I am quick to correct him "Nadja", he stares for another moment then repeats "Nadia?" sounding more sure of himself, even while still incorrect "Nein!" I protest the abuse of my name "Nadja, it means hope in Deutsche" he nods absentmindedly, processing what I said before shrugging, seemingly in defeat.

Jake rests his head back, gazing at the ceiling "So, who or what are you here to 'guard'?" he seems a bit disbelieving of my title, making a small air quotes motions with his fingers around the word 'guard' "Apparently, I'm here to make zure nothing eats zee ridiculously expenziffe Affadars vile zee techies explore. More specifically, to make zure nothing eats…" I pause and dig through my pockets to find the paper that outlines my mission and has the name of my charge on it along with a headshot "Grace Augustine? I do not know vhy." I finish with a 'what are you gonna do' shrug. Jake shakes his head chuckling at me "sounds fun." "Och!," I nudge his shoulder with mine "zat means zat I haffe to make zure nothing habens to your ungradeful arsch too!" He laughs more freely at that.

+++++Page break++++

Our conversation is brought to an end by the plane landing. I put on my exopack as directed before I unbuckle myself and stand to stretch out my muscles with a satisfied groan. I grab my duffle out from under my seat then turn to wait for Jake, only to find him seated in a wheelchair, his own duffle on his back, waiting for me. I raise a questioning eyebrow at the wheelchair, but when he raises a challenging eyebrow in return I only shrug and let it go.

Jake and I exit the plane and make our way across the tarmac towards the main building, but we have to dodge out of the way of a guy in an AMP suit, then wait for a Hell Truck (that had been thoroughly pin-cushioned by some giant arrows) to trundle past, before we're able make our way inside and from there into the mess hall. We are some of the last in so we stick to the back of the group and I seat myself on a bench next to where Jake parks his chair. We sit through the Colonel's safety brief, wherein he essentially tells everyone not to be stupid, wander out of the compound and/or get killed in any way, because he is in charge of keeping all of us alive.

Once the Colonel's inspiring speech ends, I rise and make my way out of the mess hall, following after Jake while rooting through my many pockets once more. "Zo I zink now ve're zubozed to report to our um… schtazion?" I call forward, asking him more than telling him "and where is our 'schtazion'?" Jake swiftly questions in return, mocking my accent while spinning his chair around to stare back at me in the middle of a junction of hallways. I finally pull out the map of the building that had been in with my ration pack and come to a stop in front of Jake "zo ve are affatar driffers und zee… Bio-lab is connected to zee… link room, zo... rechts to our schtazion!" I point a finger down the right hallway and Jake sets off in that direction with me following along after as we set off in search of the Bio-lab.

As we make our way to where I think the Bio-lab is, a guy that I don't know runs up to us, calling Jake's name "Hey, you're Jake right? Tom's brother? You look just like him." Jake gives the man a weird look, apparently not knowing him anymore than I do. The man reaches out a hand, adjusting one of the bags he's carrying with the other, introducing himself and apologizing while shaking Jake's hand "Sorry, I'm Norm, Norm Spellman, I went through avatar training with him." "Nice to me you, this is Nadia." Jake nods his head in my direction, continuing to mispronounce my name "Oh hi!" Norm cries and quickly reaches a hand out to shake mine, but accidentally knocking the bag he had adjusted off of his shoulder and into the crook of his elbow, jerking down the hand his was offering and causing him to nearly smack Jake. I laugh and give a small wave to the now blushing man "Nice to meet you Norm, I am Nadja." I correct Jake's pronunciation of my name and smile kindly at the man, getting an awkward grin in return as he returns his bag to its rightful place.

Norm walks past us with a quick "The lab is this way" I grin triumphantly at Jake at the confirmation that I had indeed been leading us the right way, but Jake only rolls his eyes with an amused smile at my slightly childish actions. We walk into the Bio-lab at long last and Norm introduces himself to the first person he sees, getting a short "Hi" in response, before he points out the link room, but Jake spots the avatars being unpacked from the trip in a different section of the lab and makes his way over to them. A techie sees us walking over and says a quick hello and welcomes us to Pandora, "Damn, they got big." Jake remarks breathlessly and I can't help but silently agree as I make my way over to my own avatar.

It's face reflects mine as perfectly as a Na'vi possibly could with a small nose, a bottom lip that I have always thought looks over full, sharp cheek bones and (my favourite aspect of my face) long full eyelashes. I can immediately tell that I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb though, for floating around it's head is a cloud of hair that flawlessly matches my snow white locks, in distinct contrast to the Na'vi's usual black colouration and every so often the hair shifts enough that I can see hints of an ear that's too sharply pointed to be considered normal, with my luck it has probably gotten my weird way-too-light-of-a-shade-of-blue-to-be-natural eyes too, but at least I get to keep a set of fangs. I sigh in anticipation of the questions I am going to get, but wipe the bone weary expression off my face as I hear Jake making his way over.

"Wow, and here I thought the hair was just dyed." Jake laughs a bit, eyes darting between my avatar and me "Your hair's really white?" I nod slightly in reply, crossing my arms and bringing a finger up to my mouth to nibble at the skin surrounding my nail. A habit that I formed as a replacement for biting my lip, as biting my lip is a nearly impossible thing to do when in possession of fangs without getting a bloody lip and, in general, freaking out everyone else. "Ja." I try to force a laugh, but grimace when it comes out awkward and I cringe while Jake looks at me again, he looks… concerned? "Mein biological mom kot mezed up by zee bad air back on earth ven sche vas pregnant vith me und zee meticines zee docdors gaffe her affecded mein DNA, zo ven I vas born I vound up looking like zee long lost daughter of Thranduil" Jake nods along until I mention the odd name "Thranduil? That's that poncy king elf dude from that really old book… The Bobbat or whatever, right?" I laugh slightly at his butchering of my favourite book's name " _The Hobbit_ , Ja." He pauses then eyes me intently "does that mean you have-" he mimes at having pointed ears making me giggle. I grin and brush my hair out of the way of my ears, hair that I left conveniently just long enough to do so, and let him oogle at the pointed tops.

I walk over to a desk with Jake following along after me asking "Hey the poncy king, Bran-whatever, he had a son didn't he?" I hum in agreement as I sit down on top of the desk, criss-cross-applesauce style "Ja, Legolas Greenleaf" Jake nods absently staring at me contemplatively "well then Legolas, got any other surprises?" "Och" I force a blush onto my cheeks "zo ven I zigned up for zee var I vanded to look more tough, zo people vould not immediately dismiss me for being ein voman" Jake leans forward in anticipation, bracing his elbows on his knees "I took inspirazion from scary stories, zings like verevolffes und vambires und zings like zat, you get it" Jakes gives an impatient confirming noise, gesturing for me to go on "vell I saved up for ein long time und ven I had enough I vent to ein cosmetic dendist und had zem change mein canine teeth into fangs." Jake laughs incredulously "No way, seriously?" "Ja" I reply nodding seriously and open my mouth to show off the elongated teeth. "How do you eat or talk or even close your mouth?!" I laugh at his curiosity "Zey zit farther forvard zan zee rest of mein teeth, zo zey are ovar top of mein bodom teeth ven I cloze mein mouth, I eat normally und I had ein really bad lisp ven I first kot zem done," I reply with a vicious grin and Jake laughs in awed disbelief of my decision, though the story was true that _I_ had purposely gotten my teeth replaced by fangs, I actually did it in spite of the government trying to make me their perfect Übermensch rather than to look tough.

Norm appears next to us again, oblivious to all that just occurred and leads us off, saying that Jake has to make a video log on what he had experienced so far on Pandora, and when Jake questions why he has to do it Norm replies that he needs to get into the habit of documenting everything, that it is all part of good science and that it will also help to keep him sane for the next six years that we are expected to be here. "So why doesn't Legolas here have to do it then." He jerks his head towards me, Norm pauses humming in thought "You know... I actually don't know." I grin and answer for Norm "I zink it vas zomething along zee lines of zem 'not neeting zee zoughts of another knife vaffing grunt contaminating zeir rezearch, let alone one zat cannot effen speak proper Englisch'. it vas zaid in more vords, but I'm pretty zure zat vas zee gist of zee explanazion I receiffed." I get grins in return and a bitter muttered "lucky bastard" from Jake, who then turns back to the camera with a small "whatever" beginning again with a laughing and slightly mocking "well here I am, doing science."

+++++Page break++++

The techie, who at some point got around to introducing himself as Max, tells Jake to log off and shut it down, because it's about time we meet the boss. This tidbit of information makes Norm get very excited, very quickly and he rushes off through the short corridor that leads to the link room, where he was originally leading us when we first came into the lab. I take a wild guess from the name and ask a lingering Max if this is in fact where an avatar driver links to their body and he confirms my thoughts with a small smile. Max strikes me as a fidgety kind of person, not nervous persay, simply twitchy, but he seems nice enough so I have nothing to say against the man.

Norm fast walks through the corridor and into the room with Jake and I trailing behind, and Max floating along somewhere between the excited man and us. The room is round, there is a sunken pit in the middle that is surrounded by metal railings and filled with high tech dodads that I could probably break by breathing on. The raised outer platform has a number of what I suppose are the actual links, but look like high tech coffins inside of MRI scanners, built into the walls. I have a feeling that if I were to say my thoughts on the links aloud Norm would start hyperventilating, in awe of my all-encompassing ignorance when it comes to tech. So it is better perhaps, to keep my thoughts to myself, but the mental image of a stunned Norm having a fit over it makes me chuckle. Jake shoots me a questioning look and I gesture around the room then shoot my hand over my head to signal that all this tech is beyond me and Jake huffs a small laugh, nodding in agreement.

Norm is rattling off praises about 'the boss' and it all starts to get tuned out, classified as background noise, until he mentions my charge's name "-a legend. She's the head of the Avatar Program, and she wrote the book, I mean literally wrote the book, on Pandoran botany." This bit of information makes Max scoff muttering a quick "That's because she likes plants better than people" in retort. Max's comment makes me groan, realizing that protecting my charge will probably not be all that fun or easy for me. One of the running links turns off then opens and out of it emerges a woman with orange-red hair, a squarish jaw, and a willowy figure, she is shouting for a cigarette and a random techie comes up and hands her one, along with a white lab coat. Upon closer inspection when she's nearer to us, I notice that she has brown eyes, nicely arched eyebrows, a smattering of freckles across her face and that she is most definitely my charge.


	3. Chapter 3

Nadja defies the norm for humans, but not by choice. Experimented on as a child she is now hunted by the people that changed her, but with signs of government betrayal all around her she can't evade them forever. Will she find escape and friends on Pandora or will she face her fate alone?

* * *

Max calls a greeting to Dr. Augustine as we head towards her, bringing her attention away from yet another random techie and the tablet she was viewing to introduce us "And here she is Cinderella back from the ball. Grace, I'd like you to meet Norm Spellman, Jake Sully and Nadja Bähr" Jake and I hang back a small bit as Dr. Augustine disregards us in favor of chatting to Norm in Na'vi. After several moments of being ignored Jake takes a deep steadying breath, then glances over at me and mutters a fed up "You understand any of what they're sayin'?" I return his glance and tilt my hand back and forth in a 'So-So' motion "I know zome, but I undersdand more zan I speak. Mein accent makes it hard to pronounce zuch ein flovery tongue." Max gently cuts into both conversations to draw Dr. Augustine's attentions towards Jake and I by introducing us again "Uh, Grace, this is Jake Sully and Nadja Bähr"

I nod approvingly as Max correctly pronounces my name a second time and Jake extends his hand with a polite "Ma'am" in order to greet Dr. Augustine properly. Dr. Augustine apparently has no interest in being polite and ignores his hand while harshly replying "Yeah, I know who you are, and I don't need you. I need your brother." she then dismisses him and turns to Max to complain "You know, the PhD who trained three years for this mission." but Jake was not about to let that stand and cut in again with a biting "He's dead." while staring down Dr. Augustine "I know it's a big inconvenience to everyone." Dr. Augustine wheels on him, demanding "How much lab training have you had?" and Jake is quick to reply with a cheeky "I dissected a frog once".

Dr. Augustine only stares at him disbelievingly and I swiftly step between the two in hopes of preventing an argument on the first day, extending my hand I introduce myself yet again "Hello, it is nice to meet you Dr. Augustine. I am Nadja Bähr und I'm to prodect you from here on." She stares at me for a time before sputtering an indignant "Protect me!" then storms away, shouting about going to confront 'Selfridge' (to which Max protested heavily) because this was all 'Bullshit!'. I blink after the departing Dr. Augustine, then exchange an amused look with Jake at the woman's dramatics, poor Max was not so amused and he sighed tiredly before turning to Jake and I "Here, tomorrow, oh eight hundred. Try to use big words."

"Big vords." I scoff staring after Max "Deutsche has many 'big vords' zat he vould haffe nein chance at zaying! Vhy, Freundschaftspeseugung vould fit zis zituazion vell, und it has zweiundzwanzig ledders!" Jakes's head whips around to face me "frundshafts Zieunswan, what!" he exclaims, struggling to pronounce my words. "Freundschaftspeseugung" I correct him while turning away and pulling out my map to hunt down the barracks, Jake follows after me questioning "and what does… froonshaftbeezgun mean?" I do not look up from the map as I traverse the halls that all look frustratingly the same, but reply none the less "Freundschaftspeseugung. It does not haffe ein direct translazion to Englisch, but it means zomething like… demonstrazions of friendschip" I growl and stop at a bisecting corridor that was not clear on the map "Okay…" Jake nods along hesitantly "and how many letters did you say it has?" "zweiundzwanzig, tventy-two" I translate curtly, cursing the useless map as I simply pick a direction randomly and hope that it leads us to the barracks.

There is a long moment of silence before I grow frustrated and twist to face Jake, shoving the paper into his hands I shout "'ere! Take nutzlos map! Vere are barracks!" my grasp on Englisch wanes in my anger and Jake grins up at me in amusement, the Arschgeige. I glare at him until he looks down at the map and he taps his fingers on his chin, humming in fake concentration while I grow more and more frustrated with the brat of a man. "Weeeeell" he drawls "according to this, the barracks are riiiiiight…there." He points behind me and I whip around only to come face to face with a door labeled obviously " **Common Barracks** " I growl, baring my teeth at the indignity, before slamming through the offending door and huffily leaving behind the cackling Jake. Inside the door is a tray full of rectangular pieces of metal that are inscribed with various names in black paint, I rifle through until I find mine and Jake's names then proceed down corridor until I find an unclaimed room and slide the name plates into the two slots on the door and upon entering I pluck up one of the door keycards.

I survey the small room that contains only one small desk, two cots with trunks at the bottom for clothes and a sliding door, that when I open I am surprised to find leads to a simple bathroom. Atop both beds are cardboard boxes and opening the one on the bunk that I claim reveals the previously promised set of standard hygiene products and a couple of unisex military fatigues. Jake wheels in as I finish my exploring "We're sharing?" he questions, raising an amused eyebrow at my decision, I huff at him explaining "I am not scharing vith zomeone I do not know und leaffing it up to fate, vith mein luck I'd get zome idiodic lustmolch!" "a lustmolch?" he queries "Lustmolch means… Zex crazy, ein whore." I translate, firm in my justification "Ah, yes." He nods agreeably "we wouldn't want that."

I frown at the brat and his sarcasm, but say nothing in reply and turn away to place my duffle into the trunk without actually unpacking my clothes, I then shuff the box underneath my cot after extracting the small fabric bag of hygiene products to place in the bathroom. I firmly ignore Jake as I strip down to only my shirt and underwear, setting my dirty clothes into the newly noticed laundry basket that had previously been hiding behind the door, trusting that Jake would be mature enough not to care about my state of undress. I plop onto my cot, grabbing the pillow to hold as I sit cross legged facing Jake, who had moved himself from his wheelchair onto his bed, to sit propped against the wall and had at some point removed his clothes to just boxers and a wife beater.

"Zo are you excited apout finally being on Pandora?" I ask him leaning forward to rest my elbows on my pillow covered knees and propping up my chin on my left hand "Nah, not really" he replies with a chuckle and a smile at my nonchalance "I figure it's just another hellhole." Grinning in return I inquire "Vould you like to play zee queszion kame?" "The question game?!" he gasps in mock surprise, pressing a hand against his heart dramatically "If I didn't know better I would think you're trying to get to know me Miss Bähr!" I laugh at his antics and motion for him to ask the first question "Alright, What's your favourite colour?" he starts easy and I can quickly reply "Orange" but then there is a long pause "Well? It's your turn to ask a question" he prompts me, waving a hand encouragingly "In Deutschland both people ansver zee queszion zo you get to know faster" I inform the man and he raises an eyebrow but states that his favourite colour is blue anyway.

"Vat is your full name?"

"Jacob Aaron Sully"

"Nadja Flora Bähr"

"How long did you serve before heading out here?"

"fünf ye-Five, five years"

"Three, then my spine got fucked"

"Faffourite book?"

"Elephants Don't Blame the Sky, by Chasity Timpcon"

"The Hobbit. by J.R.R. Tolkien"

"What's your favourite drink?"

"Schorle, it is ein mix of juice und mineral vader."

"Tea"

"Vat's zomething you like to do zee old-faschioned vay?"

"Using a stove top kettle."

"Reading actual paper books"

"What is a useless skill that you have?"

"Vriting in Kalligraphie"

"Origami."

"Vat is zomething zat you hate doing?"

"Knitting."

"Watching movies."

The light coming in from under the door dims dramatically and three rapid beeps echo from the speakers in the hallway, Jake and I glance at each other. "I zuboze zat means it's time to sleep" I comment as I lay down, fixing my blanket around myself "Guess so" Jake agrees as he follows my lead and settles down for the night, I reach over and flick off the lamp bidding Jake a friendly "Gute Nacht, Jake" and in getting a reciprocal " Night, Legolas" in return I peacefully allow myself to drift off.

I am floating, surrounded by colours and voices, the voices are joyful and sound as if they come from beings of all ages. Child's laughter and singing becomes prevalent, the singing is beautiful, but I can not clearly hear the words no matter how I strain. The world shifts and I find myself astride a wide pole holding tight to two leathery ropes as wind rushes around me at high speeds, the only colours I can see are orange and red and blue, it is big, it will protect me, it is mine. The atmosphere seems serious and there are voices in my ear that I can't understand, but I feel like they're important. Important to me. The world swirls again and I am atop a tall tree staring at another, there is a figure on the branch I'm staring at, but I can't see clearly. They are speaking in harsh tones, but the words are too jumbled to understand. The world slides, I am in a grey room, there is a weight around my neck, I do not like it, it burns, it burnsitburnsit _burnsitbu_ _ **rnsitburnsitburns**_ ** _!_**

I rocket awake with a gasp, lurching out of my bed and into the bathroom to empty my stomach into the toilet, what was that dream? Why can I remember it so easily? A hesitant and groggy "Legolas?" comes from outside the bathroom, I groan and call back in a rough voice "In here, Jake" There is bliss full silence, but it is interrupted by rustling sheets and then the sound of wheels. They come to a stop behind where I am resting my aching head against the lovely cold of the tile floor, a hand rests on my spine and Jake's voice comes again in a gentle tone, but rough from recently waking up "You're alright, Legolas. Come on, lets get you up." With a groan I shakily obey, lifting myself to my feet with heavy assistance from the wall and the steadying arm around my waist "I do not zink space traffel agrees vith me. It giffes me terrible und schtrange dreams. Leaffes me vith ein headache." I grumble pitifully and Jake gives me a sympathetic smile. I brace myself heavily on Jake as he helps me back to my bed after I wash out my mouth, I flop down onto the cot, curling up and trying to block out the amount of pain my head was putting out. My blankets are dragged up and tucked around me, the sound of wheels, the light I hadn't realised was on, flicked off. Darkness. Rustling sheets. Gentle humming of a song I don't recognise. The pain of my head dims. I fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Nadja defies the norm for humans, but not by choice. Experimented on as a child she is now hunted by the people that changed her, but with signs of government betrayal all around her she can't evade them forever. Will she find escape and friends on Pandora or will she face her fate alone?

* * *

The next day I am awakened abruptly by five rapid beeps from hall, far more shrill than the ones that alerted us lights out the night before. Bolting upright in my cot I stare blearily at the wall for a moment as my eyes adjust to the light coming in from the beneath the door, not remembering where I am. A groan echoes from the other side of the room and a glance that way reveals a lump under a blanket on a cot identical to my own, a wheelchair parked close by. I rub my hands over my face with a long sigh, the sight of Jake reminding me of where I am. A spare look at the clock as I lever myself off of my cot tells me that it's only 0500 and running an idle hand through my hair I decide to grab a quick shower, take care of the necessities, then kick Jake out of bed if he isn't already and get dressed, hopefully there will be time enough for us to grab some breakfast before we have to meet up with Max at 0800.

After my morning ablutions I come out of the bathroom and am pleased to see Jake already awake and waiting outside of the door for his turn in the bathroom. "Did you vant me to vait for you?" I ask him before he closes the door, he pauses then nods at me "Yeah, sure. Thanks." I get dressed and sit on my bed as I wait for Jake to be done. Quickly bored with just sitting around, I fish though my duffle from earth, spotting my standard issue Pandorapedia I pull it out with a shrug and start to give it another thumb through. Stopping at the Na'vi-Music section I read a little tidbit about Fan Drums

'The fan drum is the most physically demanding of the Na'vi instruments because of its size. The instrument stretches well above the head of the Na'vi player who must jump a great distance to hit the highest drums. The physicality of the playing style makes this the perfect instrument for a young Na'vi male about to ride his banshee for the first time. If he can adequately play the instrument, he can demonstrate that he has the physical strength, agility, and stamina to mount his banshee.

The fan drums are made using sturmbeest bladders stretched across wooden frame.'*

I take a moment to try and picture what an instrument of that size would look like, giggling as I picture a tiny human next to an instrument that apparently dwarfs even the Na'vi. I wonder why the Na'vi would make an instrument difficult to play on purpose? Perhaps I'll ask Norm, he might know something about it and he seemed nice enough yesterday.

A cough from beside me alerts me to Jake's waiting presence and I send him a sheepish grin as I tuck away the book and stand to follow him through the door. "Do you remember vere zee cafeteria is?" I inquire as Jake seems fairly confident in where he's going "Yup, memorized where it was before we left it for the labs." He tosses a teasing grin over his shoulder at me "No need to rely on your amazing map skills, don't worry." I huff at him, shaking my head but grinning back at the Bengel regardless. Sure enough Jake leads us unhesitatingly directly to the Mess Hall, smirking at me like the Bengel he is proving to be as we line up to choose our rations then grab a table to eat at. Food is all artificial now, been that way since before I was born, Humans killed all the trees and are close to killing off the rest of the flora last I heard about it, not even dandelions will have any chance of surviving if humans has any say about it.

Finishing off my meal moments after Jake I follow after him to place our dishes into the 'Dirty' chute then trail after him out of the room, trusting that he had memorized the way to the link room as well and this time taking a moment to remember where the Mess Hall is. "You nervous?" Jake asks, but doesn't look up at me, focusing on navigating the busy hallways "Nerffous? Nein, vy vould I be nerffous?" I give him an odd look, then quickly have to dodge out of the way of a woman rushing down the hall, her arms stacked high with boxes. "Don't tell me you forgot, Legolas?" Jake exclaims in mock horror and at my bewildered look he tuts at me "For shame, Legolas. Don't you remember what Max said? We're trying out the Avatars today!" he ends with exaggerated cheer and my eyes widen as what he said registers just as we enter the Bio Lab.

In the Bio Lab we are greeted enthusiastically by Norm, who just as enthusiastically butchers my name, and less enthusiastically by Dr. Augustine , who greets us only with a curt "Sully. Bähr." and a nod in our direction before striding towards the Link Room with Norm, leaving us to follow along in her wake. "So-" she begins questioning Norm authoritatively "How much link time have you logged?" Norm is nervously wringing his hands but answers promptly "About five hundred twenty hours" Dr. Augustine looked moderately surprised and pleased by the answer and says a quick "That's good" making Norm grin before directing Norm to the link they were passing. Turning around she addresses me "Bähr, how many hours?" I stop with Jake in front of the next link as I reply "Around three hundred or zo, Ma'am. Just schtantard." Dr. Augustine nods approvingly though no less curtly, then calls over to Max who was standing in the pit looking at a screen "Max! Come set Bähr up!" Max nods and jogs over guiding me away from Jake towards the next link in the line.

"You know how this works right?" he sends me a tentative smile as I hop up to sit on the open link "Ja, I kot zis. Don't vorry." Max nods, fiddles with the screen and starts up the link, which whirls and flashes colours, then turns to me and gestures for me to lay down, pulling the biometric sensors down over my torso once I had done so "Okay, arms in, head down, watch your hands. Ready?" he pauses before he closes the lid "Ja" I give him a small nod and a nervous adrenalin hyped grin. He closes the lid and I shut my eyes, I feel the cradle moving into the link and for a moment it's just dark.

Then bright streamers of light appear, forming a pulsing kaleidoscopic tunnel of light. I hear the children laughing and the beautiful singing from my dream again, but now there is an warm presence encompassing all of it, including me, I get the feeling of being nudged along, gently guided on my way with a fond smile. The next thing I know the world is blurry and bright like an overexposed, out-of-focus image, the first thing I see is two blurry faces starring down at me, the first thing I hear is someone making an absolute mess of my name.

I sit up with a groan after the techies have a chance to test my hearing and pupils, swinging my legs over the side of the gurney I wait until one of the techies unhooks me from all of the monitoring machines, then I start flexing and stretching to make sure everything works right. A scream from behind me alarms me and I feel my ears pin back and my tail lash as I stand up and spin around to face the noise, bearing my fangs in a move that I have long practiced after getting fangs in my human body, though the instinctual automatic threatening hiss that accompanied the move is something I didn't expect or mean to happen. The sudden movement on my part is apparently cause for panic among the now very small techies, shouting takes over the room, people in scrubs rushing to my side hands up and yelling for me to be calm.

I gift the techies a look, but that pause on my part is enough for me to hear a familiar voice over the hubbub and looking around I bypass the sight of Norm and Jake's still unconscious Avatars to focus on Max peering in through an observation window "Max! Was passiert?!"* I stride up to the window gesturing around myself wildly "Warum zur Hölle hat jemand schreien?!"* Max is also holding his hands up, a screen clutched in one, but he is speaking somewhat calmly "Nadja, we can't understand what you're saying. Please get back on the gurney." I stare at Max uncomprehendingly for a moment then glance behind in time to see one of the male techies prepping what appeared to be a rather large needle in comparison to his hands while shouting about sedating me.

I turn to the techies and now it is my turn to raise my hands placating as I slowly move back to the gurney, giving Mr. Needle-Happy a wide berth as I pass him, and calmly sitting back down. Everyone seems to take a steading breath and a male techie approaches me, not Mr. Needle-Happy thank goodness, and begins to guide me through small exercises to test my motor control. At the end of the tests I very pointedly to not get off of the gurney even as I hear Norm come to behind me, instead I catch Max's eye and shooting him a questioning thumbs up.

Only after I get a confirming thumbs up from Max and I check that Mr. Needle-Happy is nowhere near, do I cautiously and slowly begin to rise from the gurney and approach Max at his window. "Max, vy did zomeone scream? Vat happened?" Max sighs and rubs at the area between his eyes "When you stretched your tail flicked and it startled Julie." I stare incredulously at the scientist for a moment before rolling my eyes with a chuckle at some people's ridiculousness "Yeah. You can grab some clothes through there and head out. Try to find Grace, she'll show you the barracks and hopefully answer any questions you might have." Max points me towards a door and I thank him with a nod, heading that way.

Switching out my hospital gown for a pair of shorts and a sports bra, I'm shocked when I catch my eyes in a mirror and I realize they are not the light blue I was expecting, but a gold mixed with speckles and lines of green that is quite beautiful. I puzzle over it for a moment and then it hits me BlueYellow=Green, the Na'vi genes must have been too strong for my freaky eye genetics I realize with a grin. My little bubble of happiness is popped by screaming from the other room and I freeze for a moment, but when I hear repeated cries of "Jake!" and "Sit down!" I am reassured, but then I hear the voice of Mr. Needle-Happy once more crying for sedation and I grab a pair of boots, open the exterior door and high tail it out of there. I'm certain that Jake will just do the same that I did and it will calm down soon enough.

* * *

 ***This is an exact quote off of the Pandorapedia online, I make no claim to this information**

 ***I do not speak German this is what an Online translator said was correct for "What happened" and "Why the hell did someone scream" respectively.**


End file.
